Some cooking devices need water in order for the food to be prepared. For example, cooking devices with a steam cooking function need water in order to generate the steam. Such steam cooking methods usually offer a relatively gentle preparation capability since certain vitamins are retained, for example, when vegetables are being cooked.
In another cooking method, the water is used to modify the moisture level in the air as a function of the cooking process. For this purpose, with this method—commonly called “climate-controlled cooking”—steam is generated and introduced into the oven chamber of the device during the cooking process. For example, climate-controlled cooking is highly advantageous for the long cooking times needed for large roasts since, thanks to the intermittent steaming, the meat does not dry out. Climate-control is also often advantageous for baking bread and rolls since steaming at the beginning of the baking procedure prevents the dough surface from cracking.
As a rule, cooking devices with a steam-cooking or climate-controlled cooking function have a water tank to supply the water that is needed. The water tank is usually filled before the beginning of the process. For this purpose, the tank can be removed and filled, for example, under a water faucet. The state of the art also discloses cooking devices that have a suction element through which the water can be transferred, for instance, from a cup into the water tank. Other known cooking devices are those that are connected to the water supply source via a fixed water connection. The cooking device autonomously draws in the amount of water needed. The advantage of such a system with a fixed water connection is that the user no longer has to make sure that there is a sufficient amount of water in the water tank for the envisaged cooking process.
In the case of such a fixed water connection, the requirement exists that the water admitted into the cooking device must not be sucked back into the water supply system on the side where the connection is located. In order to meet this requirement, there is often a free-fall section where the water cannot accumulate. If negative pressure arises in the water supply system, it is not the water but rather merely air that is sucked back into the system.
However, a problem can be encountered when the water is admitted via a fixed water connection, namely, that the inflowing water displaces air from the lines or from the tank. For example, the air can be allowed to escape via the path through which the steam is also fed into the oven chamber during the cooking operation. Unfortunately, it often occurs that water is diverted and entrained, so that water collects in the oven chamber. The water is usually particularly prone to being diverted while it is running through the free-fall section.